Bi2Te3 (Bismuth-Telluride) alloys are perhaps the best known semiconductor compounds for thermoelectric refrigeration at room temperatures. The crystal structure of Bi2Te3 and its alloys shows anisotropy in both thermoelectric and mechanical properties that are originated from the crystal structure. Hence, Bi2Te3 and its alloys can be easily cleaved in planes perpendicular to the crystallographic c-direction. The sequence of planes in the unit cell is Te1-Bi-Te2-Bi-Te1- and the adjacent tellurium atoms of successive units are bonded only by weak van der Waal's forces. Thus, extreme care is required for the fabrication and applications of these materials without material fracture during handling.
The mechanical properties of single crystalline Bi2Te3 alloys are not appropriate for its fabrication and applications. Therefore, the microstructure of poly-crystal Bi2Te3 alloys is important in determining the thermoelectric and mechanical properties of the materials. The microstructure of poly-crystal Bi2Te3 alloys, and other materials, may be improved by traditional forming processes, such as rolling, drawing, forging, and extrusion. These processes typically plastically deform the material to improve their properties by reducing the recrystallized grain size and homogenizing the microstructure. However, these processes often produce non-uniform strain, non-uniform recrystallized microstructures and unwanted or non-uniform texture, which are undesirable for some  applications, such as certain thermoelectric applications. 